Whether you want to start podcasting or stream video games, now is the perfect time to start an in-home studio for streaming. If you are wondering where to start, you’ve come to the right place. As someone with a passion for creating, i have been building my toolbox of essential gear for quite a few years now, and it has evolved over time as new technology has become mainstream. In this series I will help with all of the basics to get you going and provide resources to expand on your knowledge. This first part will describe the steps of starting the creative process and determining your production needs. So let’s get started!

First you want to decide what your goals are. What is your final product going to be like? Will you be doing audio only or are you going for the full audio visual experience? Don’t feel the need to get too technically detailed in this step, we will expand on these young ideas and draw out more information later on. An outline with a few bullet points will work. Once you have your goals in mind and outlined, you can start with pre-production. This step may be the most crucial, since this is where you’ll decide what resources and tools you’ll need to bring your project into fruition. 

For this process you will need to decide what your show/content will be called, what topics it will cover, and what will be the general audience you’ll be presenting it to. This part may require research if you’re trying to really calculate maximum reach and get as many potential viewers as possible. Your message and branding should reflect this demographic and appeal to them. Even with careful consideration, you never know who may end up being your audience but you’ll at least have some control over your intended group. 

When deciding what content you’ll cover, it is important to keep it loose, yet have what I like to call a “content corral”. It’s something that is always relevant to you, and something you can easily cover. This is your fallback when ideas and news topics are thin. Unlike Evergreen content, which is always relevant to others, and is another important resource to have ready during pre-production, as it allows you to maintain momentum. Having a bank of topics and content will give you the freedom to keep producing content without gaps in your release schedules. Note that this process is ongoing throughout production of the show if you plan to keep producing episodes rather than be a limited series.

Now that you’ve decided what content you’d like to cover, you’ll notice that your show is starting to take some shape. This is an important time to start developing a brand for your show as you’ll have a pretty clear idea of what your show will be like. Whatever your medium, be it podcasting, YouTube, Twitch, or whatever, YOU NEED BRANDING. Branding is the look, the logo, the color palette, and so on. This is how you’ll be recognized and given legitimacy by a critical audience. Luckily we live in a world where getting inspiration is as easy as a (insert favorite search engine here) search on the internet. Look at other shows that may be similar to yours. Ask yourself what works, and build on that for your own branding. Once you have this done, you’ll have completed the first part in this series to stream like a pro! Stay tuned for Part II of How to Stream Like a Pro.

If you’d like to schedule a more in-depth consultation, please reach out by contacting Jon Here.